Practicing Positive Masculinity
Our culture of separation has driven social isolation limiting human relationships and increasing disconnection from nature and its processes. We are no longer in alignment with Earth's cycles or our food production. This has led to domination language such as, "we live on earth" instead of relational language such as, "we live with earth". Dominant culture and language are often driven by patriarchal cultural norms of competition, status, and othering. The Practicing Positive Masculinity poster provides a template for a more sustainable culture that centers relationships, responsibility, and connection to each other and earth. The black circles provide a value system which informs the list of actions and practices.
References:
Pagans in the Promised Land, by Steven Newcomb
Turn This World Inside Out, by Nora Samaran
The Gender Knot, by Allan Johnson
Emergent Strategy, by Adrienne Maree Brown
Resources
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Practicing Positive Masculinity
pdf - 118.20 KB
SELF-REFLECTION: INVITATION FOR EDUCATORS:
1) Modeling Values Through Everyday Interactions
- In what small, everyday ways can I model listening, patience, and care in my interactions with students?
- How do I respond when a student makes a mistake? Do I model accountability, reflection, and repair?
- What does it look like for me to demonstrate respect, openness, and non-judgement in real time?
2) Creating a Relational Classroom Environment
- What classroom norms or routines can I establish that prioritize connection over competition?
- How can I structure participation so that students feel supported rather than compared?
- In what ways does my classroom currently encourage (or discourage) collaboration, vulnerability, and mutual respect?
3) Normalizing Emotional Awareness and Expression
- How comfortable am I showing appropriate vulnerability or emotion in front of students?
- What signals do I give students about whether emotions are welcome or need to be hidden?
- How can I respond to student emotions in ways that validate them?
4) Practicing Responsibility and Accountability
- How do I take responsibility when I misspeak, make an assumption, or get something wrong in class?
- How can I create a space for students to take responsibility for their actions without shame?
5) Disrupting Harmful Norms in Subtle, Consistent Ways
- When competition, comparison, or harmful language shows up, how do I address it in the moment?
- What are some ways I can interrupt patterns like exclusion, dominance, or stereotyping?
- How can I model alternatives, such as collaboration, curiosity, and respect, without turning it into a lecture? Think about seamless practices or expressions you can integrate.
- For building connection and community, how do I show students that relationships matter (and not just outcomes or performance)?
6) Extending Care Beyond the Classroom
- In what ways can I model care for the physical environment? Think about classroom space, materials, and shared resources.
- What small shifts in language (e.g., “with” instead of “on”) might reshape how students think about relationships and responsibility?